The French Bee Airlines pet policy 2023 includes various options for flying with dogs or cats in the cabin, and in the hold as checked baggage or cargo. Details of the French Bee Airlines pet policy for travelling on international flights with your cat or dog are included. For dogs and cats in the cabin or hold, or those travelling as cargo, pets must be at least 8 weeks old. However, bear in mind that your pet will have to comply with the vaccinations etc. required under the relevant pet travel scheme, and is likely to be around 16 weeks when eligible for flights in Europe. When flying with dogs and cats in either the cabin or cargo hold with French Bee Airlines, pets must be able to move around within their carrier, and they have to travel with an adult passenger. The price for flying your pet in a French Bee Airlines cabin or cargo hold varies, depending on the route, method of travel and the size of your pet. French Bee Airlines pet travel rules do not allow for cats and dogs on flights to and from Papeete, Tahiti. In addition, the French Bee Airlines dog policy doesn’t accept certain breeds either in the cabin or cargo hold. From 2021, Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) are no longer recognised by French Bee Airlines, and most other airlines. Only professionally trained Assistance and Service Animals are accepted by French Bee Airlines. ESAs must travel under the standard French Bee Airlines Pet Travel Policy. You can also check out pet travel reviews for French Bee Airlines Airlines by fellow pet travellers, and remember to leave a French Bee pet travel review if you fly your cat or dog in the cabin or hold! Read on for the complete French Bee pet policy for 2023.
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Table of contents
- Does French Bee Airlines Allow Pets in the Cabin?
- Does French Bee Airlines allow Pets in the Hold as Checked Baggage?
- French Bee Airlines Pet Policy for Dogs and Cats as Cargo
- French Bee Snub Nosed Cat & Dog Breed Policy
- French Bee Airlines Banned Dog Breeds
- French Bee Airlines Policy for Assistance & Service Dogs
- French Bee Airlines Policy for Emotional Support Animals & Psychiatric Service Dogs
- Pet Travel Documentation & Vaccines
- French Bee Excluded Pet Flight Routes
- Are Pets Safe on Planes?
- Related Pages
| Dogs & Cats in the Cabin of the Plane | ✅ |
| Dogs & Cats flying as Checked In Baggage | ✅ |
| Pets flying in Cargo Hold | ✅ |
| Assistance Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Psychiatric Service Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) in Cabin | ❌ |
Does French Bee Airlines Allow Pets in the Cabin?
Only dogs and cats are accepted by French Bee Airlines to fly in the passenger cabin in their travel bag, up to a maximum combined weight of 8 kg. A one pet per passenger rule is in place with French Bee.
The travel bag or kennel must meet the French Bee Airlines specifications outlined in their pet travel policy. On the flight, the travel bag will be stowed underneath the seat in front of you, you can’t remove your cat or dog during the flight for safety reasons.
The maximum dimensions permitted by French Bee for your cat or dog’s travel carrier are L 43 x W 35 x H 20 cm. Also, be aware that your pet’s travel bag must be soft, rather than rigid, for them to fly in the French Bee passenger cabin.
IATA Regulations for Cats & Dogs Flying in the Cabin
While you need to ensure that your pet’s travel crate meets the maximum dimensions set by French Bee to fly in the cabin, remember that you must also adhere to the Live Animal Regulations (LAR) set by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). This includes calculating the minimum inner crate dimensions allowed by the IATA LAR for your cat or dog to fly in the cabin. In addition, the airline pet travel carrier must adhere to the criteria set by the IATA LAR, in terms of ventilation, design etc.
French Bee Airlines Pet in Cabin Price
It costs €50 per pet, per flight to fly a cat or dog with French Bee in the passenger cabin.
Does French Bee Airlines allow Pets in the Hold as Checked Baggage?
If your cat or dog, combined with their travel bag, weighs more than 8 kg, they must travel in the hold in accordance with the French Bee Airlines pet policy 2023. Dogs weighing up to a maximum of 75 kg, whilst in their IATA airline travel crate, may be transported in the hold as checked baggage.
Two pets of the same species are accepted for travel in the same kennel, provided that they don’t weigh more than 14 kg each. In this case, French Bee only charge for a single kennel, rather than for two pets.
IATA Requirements for Pets Flying in Hold
For the safety of your pet during air transport, the airline travel kennel must meet the legal requirements of the Live Animal Regulations (LAR) set by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Therefore, in addition to ensuring that your cat or dog in their travel crate adheres to the maximum weight and dimensions set by French Bee, the minimum inner kennel dimensions defined by the IATA LAR must also be met.
You can calculate the minimum inner space permitted by the IATA LAR, in addition to learning about the required construction, design etc for the pet in hold travel crate.
Should you need a new travel kennel, check out 4 Popular IATA Compliant Pet in Hold Crates.
French Bee Airlines Pet in Hold Price
It costs €70 per kennel, per flight to fly your cat or dog as checked baggage with French Bee.
French Bee Airlines Pet Policy for Dogs and Cats as Cargo
In some cases, your pet may have to fly as cargo, rather than as checked baggage. For instance, if you’re travelling on a different flight as your pet, or flying to a country that doesn’t permit pets to arrive in the cabin. Your dog will also have to travel as cargo if they exceed the maximum weight of 75 kg set by French Bee.
Snub-nosed animals such as Boxers, French Bulldogs, Pugs, Pekinese and Persian cats can have trouble breathing during the flight, due to high temperatures and respiratory issues. To ensure their well-being, snub-nosed animals may not be transported in the hold. However, they can be transported in the French Bee cabin if they meet the size and weight restrictions.
French Bee Snub Nosed Cat & Dog Breed Policy
Snub-nosed (brachycephalic) animals, such as French Bulldogs, Pugs and Persian Cats, can have trouble breathing during the flight, due to high temperatures and stress. To ensure their well-being, most snub-nosed (brachycephalic) animals may not be transported in the hold.
When flying with a snub-nosed pet in the cabin, remember that you need to add 10% to your IATA compliant pet carrier calculation.
French Bee Airlines Banned Dog Breeds
Category 1 dogs, as defined by the French Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, aren’t permitted for transport in the cabin, or in the hold as checked baggage or cargo. These so-called attack dogs don’t belong to a particular breed but are similar in morphology to the following:
- Staffordshire Terrier or American Staffordshire Terriers, Mastiffs & Tosas
Category 2 defined dogs are permitted for transport in the French Bee hold. This include the following breeds:
- Pedigree Staffordshire Terriers
- Pedigree American Staffordshire Terriers
- Pedigree Tosas
- Other dogs that are similar in morphology to the Rottweiler breed, either with or without pedigree
Note that a reinforced airline travel crate is mandatory, you can see an example of an approved crate in 4 IATA Compliant Pet in Hold Crates.
French Bee Airlines Policy for Assistance & Service Dogs
You may travel with your Assistance or Service Dog in the cabin free of charge with French Bee Airlines. It’s recommended that you make the request during booking and no less than 48 hours before your departure. But try to make the reservation as far in advance as possible.
Your Assistance or Service Dog must be fully trained and accredited, and their original documentation has to be provided at check in. Your Dog must also wear their identifying harness and vest.
French Bee Airlines Policy for Emotional Support Animals & Psychiatric Service Dogs
French Bee Airlines no longer accepts Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) for travel. Only registered and professionally trained Assistance & Service Dogs are accepted to travel in the cabin free of charge. Note that trained Psychiatric Service Dogs (PSVDs) can travel under the French Bee Airlines Assistance Dog policy on flights to and from the USA. Psychiatric Service Dogs differ from ESAs, as they have been professionally trained to perform a specific task, or tasks, for their owner, therefore they can travel with French Bee Airlines. To travel with a PSVD, you must complete the USDOT Application Form, attesting to the dog’s training and behaviour, and send it to French Bee prior to travel.
All pets other than Assistance & Service Dogs, including Emotional Support Animals, must adhere to the standard French Bee Airlines pet policy, and comply with the size, weight and breed restrictions.
Pet Travel Documentation & Vaccines
French Bee is a French international pet friendly airline, so for flights within the EU, your cat or dog has to meet the EU Pet Travel Scheme criteria. This means that you’ll need to arrange either a Pet Passport or Animal Health Certificate, and ensure that your cat or dog is microchipped and vaccinated against Rabies.
You can also check out the laws for taking a cat or dog to France, as well as other worldwide destinations in 2023.
French Bee Excluded Pet Flight Routes
French Bee doesn’t fly animals to and from Papeete, Tahiti.
Due to government pet travel rules, you can’t fly your cat or dog in the cabin to certain countries. These rules are in place in some pet friendly destinations that are currently rabies free, in order to protect their borders. For example, when flying to the UK (Scotland, England, Wales & Northern Ireland), all pets arriving on a plane must travel as cargo in the hold.
At present, the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) has extended the ban on dogs travelling to the USA from more than 100 high risk rabies countries. If your dog has visited any of these countries in the last six months, the same rules apply when flying to the USA.
Are Pets Safe on Planes?
If you’re worried about your furry travel companion’s wellbeing when flying, check out our comprehensive post regarding pet safety on planes. While in the USA, a monthly report is provided for airline pet incident rates, there isn’t an equivalent in Europe at the moment. So, there’s no data available for incidents when flying pets in the hold with French Bee Airlines. Note that even the airline pet incident reports submitted in the USA are only for cats and dogs flying in the hold, and don’t include any in cabin events.
No doubt, at some point your trip will involve a car ride, so have a look at our 12 Essential Pet Car Safety Tips too. Should your cat or dog suffer from motion sickness, we’ve also compared some of the treatments, strategies and medications for pet travel nausea.
It’s important to be aware that you can’t sedate or tranquilize your cat or dog for their flight, whether your pet, or pets, are travelling in the French Bee cabin or hold.
In addition, to protect your pet’s health and wellbeing in a new country, be sure to keep your cat or dog safe from vector-borne diseases. In particular, Heartworm from mosquitoes and Leishmaniasis from sandflies pose a serious pet threat in Southern Europe.
You might also want to check out 10 Pet Friendly Airlines in the EU, Pets in Cabin from the UK and 7 Transatlantic Pet Friendly Airlines.
And don’t forget the all important Essential Pet Travel Accessories!
Prior to booking, always view the French Bee pet travel policy on their website for any recent changes. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, some airlines are frequently amending their rules for pets on planes.
Have a safe and wonderful trip, and remember to leave a pet travel review for French Bee if you fly your pet cat or dog, in the cabin or hold!
